The Census Taken

1aNow bagain° the anger° of the LORD° burned° against Israel°, and it incited° David° against them to say°, “cGo°, number° Israel° and Judah°.”
2 The king° said° to Joab° the commander° of the army° who° was with him, “Go° about° now° through all° the tribes° of Israel°, afrom Dan° to Beersheba°, and Iregister° the people°, that I may know° the number° of the people°.”
3 But Joab° said° to the king°, “aNow may the LORD° your God° add° to the people° a hundred° times° as many as they are, while the eyes° of my lord° the king° [still] see°; but why° does my lord° the king° delight° in this° thing°?”
4 Nevertheless, the king’s° word° prevailed° against° Joab° and against° the commanders° of the army°. So Joab° and the commanders° of the army° went° out from the presence° of the king° to Iregister° the people° of Israel°.
5 They crossed° the Jordan° and camped° in aAroer°, on the right° side° of the city° that is in the middle° of the valley° of Gad° and toward°bJazer°.
6 Then they came° to Gilead° and to Ithe land° of Tahtim-hodshi°, and they came° to Dan-jaan° and around° to aSidon°,
7 and came° to the afortress° of Tyre° and to all° the cities° of the bHivites° and of the Canaanites°, and they went° out to the south° of Judah°, [to] cBeersheba°.
8 So when they had gone° about° through the whole° land°, they came° to Jerusalem° at the end° of nine° months° and twenty° days°.
9 And Joab° gave°athe number° of the Iregistration° of the people° to the king°; and there were in Israel°beight° hundred° thousand° valiant° men° who drew° the sword°, and the men° of Judah° were five° hundred° thousand° men°.

10 ¶ Now aDavid’s° heart°Itroubled° him after°° he had numbered° the people°. So David° said° to the LORD°, “bI have sinned° greatly° in what° I have done°. But now°, O LORD°, please°IItake° away° the iniquity° of Your servant°, for cI have acted° very° foolishly°.”
11 When David° arose° in the morning°, the word° of the LORD° came° to athe prophet° Gad°, David’s°bseer°, saying°,
12 “Go° and speak° to David°, ‘Thus° the LORD° says°, “I am offering° you three° things°; choose° for yourself one° of them, which I will do° to you.”’”
13 So Gad° came° to David° and told° him, and said° to him, “Shall aseven° years° of famine° come° to you in your land°? Or° will you flee° three° months° before° your foes° while they pursue° you? Or shall there be three° days’° pestilence° in your land°? Now° consider° and see° what° answer° I shall return° to Him who sent° me.”
14 Then David° said° to Gad°, “I am in great° distress°. Let us now° fall° into the hand° of the LORD°afor His mercies° are great°, but do not let me fall° into the hand° of man°.”

Pestilence Sent

15 ¶ So athe LORD°Isent° a pestilence° upon Israel° from the morning° until° the appointed° time°, and seventy° thousand° men° of the people°bfrom Dan° to Beersheba° died°.
16aWhen the angel° stretched° out his hand° toward Jerusalem° to destroy° it, bthe LORD° relented° from the calamity° and said° to the angel° who destroyed° the people°, “It is enough°! Now° relax° your hand°!” And the angel° of the LORD° was by the threshing° floor° of Araunah° the Jebusite°.
17 Then David° spoke° to the LORD° when he saw° the angel° who was striking° down° the people°, and said°, “Behold°, ait is I who have sinned°, and it is I who have done° wrong°; but bthese° sheep°, what° have they done°? Please° let Your hand° be against me and against my father’s° house°.”

David Builds an Altar

18 ¶ So Gad° came° to David° that day° and said° to him, “aGo° up, erect° an altar° to the LORD° on the threshing° floor° of IAraunah° the Jebusite°.”
19 David° went° up according to the word° of Gad°, just° as the LORD° had commanded°.
20 Araunah° looked° down° and saw° the king° and his servants° crossing° over° toward° him; and Araunah° went° out and bowed° his face° to the ground° before the king°.
21 Then Araunah° said°, “Why° has my lord° the king° come° to his servant°?” And David° said°, “To buy° the threshing° floor° from you, in order to build° an altar° to the LORD°, athat the plague° may be held° back° from the people°.”
22 Araunah° said° to David°, “Let my lord° the king° take° and offer° up what° is good° in his sight°. Look°, athe oxen° for the burnt° offering°, the threshing° sledges° and the yokes° of the oxen° for the wood°.
23 Everything°, O king°, Araunah° gives° to the king°.” And Araunah° said° to the king°, “May the LORD° your God°aaccept° you.”
24 However, the king° said° to Araunah°, “No°, but I will surely° buy° [it] from you for a price°, for aI will not offer° burnt° offerings° to the LORD° my God°Iwhich° cost° me nothing°.” So bDavid° bought° the threshing° floor° and the oxen° for fifty° shekels° of silver°.
25 David° built° there° an altar° to the LORD° and offered° burnt° offerings° and peace° offerings°. aThus the LORD° was moved° by prayer° for the land°, and the plague° was held° back° from Israel°.

David, tempted by Satan, forceth Joab to number the people.

1 ¶ And againºª the angerº of the LORDº was kindledºª against Israel,º and he movedºª² Davidº against them to say,ºª Go,¹ª² numberºª² Israelº and Judah.º2 For the kingº saidºª to² Joabº the captainº of the host,º which² [was] with² him, Go² now² through¹ª all² the tribesº of Israel,º from Danº² even to² Beersheba,º and numberºª ye² the people,º that I may knowºª² the numberº of the people.º3 And Joabº saidºª unto² the king,º Now the LORDº thy Godº addºª unto² the people,º how many soever¹ they be,º an hundredfold,ºº and that the eyesº of my lordº the kingº may seeºª [it]: but why² doth my lordº the kingº delightºª in this² thing?º4 Notwithstanding the king'sº wordº prevailedºª against² Joab,º and against² the captainsº of the host.º And Joabº and the captainsº of the hostº went outºª from the presenceº of the king,º to numberºª² the peopleº of Israel.º

5 ¶ And they passed overºª² Jordan,º and pitchedºª in Aroer,º on the right sideº of the cityº that² [lieth] in the midstº of the riverº of Gad,º and toward² Jazer:º6 Then they cameºª to Gilead,º and to² the landº of Tahtimhodshi;º and they cameºª to Danjaan,º and aboutº to² Zidon,º7 And cameºª to the strong holdº of Tyre,º and to all² the citiesº of the Hivites,º and of the Canaanites:º and they went outºª to² the southº of Judah,º [even] to Beersheba.º8 So when they had goneºª through all² the land,º they cameºª to Jerusalemº at the endº² of nineº monthsº and twentyº days.º9 And Joabº gave upºª² the sumº of the numberº of the peopleº unto² the king:º and there were² in Israelº eightº hundredº thousandº valiantº menºª¹ that drewºª the sword;º and the menº of Judahº [were] fiveº hundredº thousandº men.º

After the death of threescore and ten thousand, David by repentance preventeth the destruction of Jerusalem.

15 ¶ So the LORDº sentºª a pestilenceº upon Israelº from the morningº even to² the timeº appointed:º and there diedºª of² the peopleº from Danº² even to² Beershebaº seventyº thousandº men.º16 And when the angelº stretched outºª his handº upon Jerusalemº to destroyºª it, the LORDº repented¹ª him² of² the evil,º and saidºª to the angelº that destroyedºª the people,º It is enough:º stayºª now² thine hand.º And the angelº of the LORDº was² by² the threshingplaceº of Araunahº the Jebusite.º17 And Davidº spakeºª unto² the LORDº when he sawºª² the angelº that smoteºª the people,º and said,ºª Lo,² I² have sinned,ºª and I² have done wickedly:ºª but these² sheep,º what² have they done?ºª let thine hand,º I pray thee,² be² against me, and against my father'sº house.º

David, by Gad's direction, purchaseth Araunah's threshingfloor, where having sacrificed, the plague stayeth.

18 ¶ And Gadº cameºª that² dayº to² David,º and saidºª unto him, Go up,ºª rearºª an altarº unto the LORDº in the threshingfloorº of Araunahº the Jebusite.º19 And David,º according to the sayingº of Gad,º went upºª as² the LORDº commanded.ºª20 And Araunahº looked,ºª and sawºª² the kingº and his servantsº coming onºª toward² him: and Araunahº went out,ºª and bowed¹ª himself² before the kingº on his faceº upon the ground.º21 And Araunahº said,ºª Wherefore² is my lordº the kingº comeºª to² his servant?º And Davidº said,ºª To buyºª² the threshingfloorº of²² thee, to buildºª an altarº unto the LORD,º that the plagueº may be stayedºª from²² the people.º22 And Araunahº saidºª unto² David,º Let my lordº the kingº takeºª and offer upºª what [seemeth] goodº unto him:º behold,ºª [here be] oxenº for burnt sacrifice,º and threshing instrumentsº and [other] instrumentsº of the oxenº for wood.º23 All² these [things] did Araunah,º [as] a king,º giveºª unto² the king.º And Araunahº saidºª unto the king,º The LORDº thy Godº acceptºª thee. 24 And the kingº saidºª unto² Araunah,º Nay;² but² I will surely¹ª buyºª [it] of²² thee at a price:º neither² will I offerºª burnt offeringsº unto the LORDº my Godº of that which² doth cost me nothing.º So Davidº boughtºª² the threshingfloorº and the oxenº for fiftyº shekelsº of silver.º25 And Davidº builtºª there² an altarº unto the LORD,º and offeredºª burnt offeringsº and peace offerings.º So the LORDº was intreatedºª for the land,º and the plagueº was stayedºª from²² Israel.º